Nigeria is undergoing rapid urbanization with a rapidly growing population, the United Nation’s 2018 estimated population for Nigeria is 198 million.
Between 1960 when Nigeria declared independence from the United Kingdom and 2012 when the National Bureau of Statistics last collected population figures, Nigeria recorded a population growth of 268%, from 45.2 million to 166.2 million. With an annual urban migration rate of 3.7% of national population, the pressures on urban infrastructure and the environment certainly call for new actions and solutions to fix the increasingly complex challenges of urban pollution, traffic congestion, electricity,
water, affordable housing, health and education. Presently, only 68.5% and 29% of Nigerians have access to clean water and sanitation facilities respectively. The average life expectancy of 55.4 years underscores the overall quality of life of Nigerians. The future is of even more concern. At the present population growth rate, Nigeria’s population is projected to reach 398 million by 2050 and will overtake the United States as the third most populated country in the entire world.